(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an image sensor and/or a driving method thereof.
(b) Description of Related Art
An electronic device, such as a digital camera and a smart phone, having a function of photographing an image may include an image sensor. The image sensor may include a charged coupled device (CCD) image sensor, a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, and the like as a semiconductor device for converting optical information into an electric signal. Among them, the CMOS image sensor is mainly used.
The CMOS image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion element and a plurality of pixels including a plurality of transistors. A signal photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion element may be processed and output by the plurality of transistors, and image data may be generated based on a pixel signal output from the pixel. Each pixel may photoelectrically convert light of a specific color or in a specific wavelength range, and output a signal according to the photoelectrically converted light.
An electronic device having a function of photographing an image may have an autofocusing control function using an image sensor in order to control the focus. A phase difference detection method among various autofocusing control methods may determine whether an image is focused by dividing light incident to a pixel of a sensor into two or more elements of light and comparing the two or more elements of light. According to a result of the determination of whether the image is in focus, the focus may be automatically controlled by moving a photographing optical system included in an electronic device.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of inventive concepts. Therefore, it may contain information that does not qualify as prior art art.